Icha Icha: Flower Petals
by NarutosBrat
Summary: It's a oneshot, about Naruto and Ino.


Don't own Naruto, so don't ask.

This story was jump started by a scene in another Nar/Ino story I'd read. One line in particular got me to thinking, and the idea just wouldn't leave me alone. It held me at gun point, and made me flesh it out, I swear.

-Suddenly she realized that he'd become her foundation. He'd been her one constant, a never ending source of affection bearing her up no matter how life got her down; her ace in the hole against Ino, and something to cheer her up every time Sasuke turned her down - And now she had truly lost him.-

888

Ino groaned as she awoke, sunlight assaulting her face. After last night, it was way too early to be trying to wake up. The first thing she noticed, was that a certain pelvic area was still sticky from the night before, and a certain batter was still leaking from her, giving her chills. Turning over, she pushed her bed mate onto his back, and snuggled up to his side, intending to share her morning fortune. Almost as soon as she did, his eyes opened to reveal deep blue orbs.

"Morning Ino-chan." Her snuggle toy said, with a yawn. Leaning up to kiss his whiskered cheek, she replied.

"Morning Naruto-kun." Yes folks, Ino Yamanaka was the girlfriend/lover/hopefully soon to be wife of Naruto Uzumaki. Had someone told her this seven years ago, she'd have laughed in their face, telling them every reason that she wouldn't, before loudly, and proudly, exclaiming that nobody was better than _her_ Sasuke-kun. Oh how naive was she in her youth, Hinata had been the only smart one in their group. Funny how none of the girls in their age group's crushes were what they'd hope, except Naruto.

Sasuke turned out to be the worst possible person to give your affection to. She had realized that soon after he left, and Sakura finally did when he came back and tried to kill Naruto again. Neji it seemed, lacked any type of real personality (real surprise there), and Tenten just got bored with him. One night with Lee, and one of the 'Flames of Youth's' biggest detractors was now one of it's most avid supporters. Thankfully Hinata realized that her crush on Naruto was not what it seemed. Admiration didn't exactly mean love, and once she'd realized that, she'd become more like a little sister to him (and boy was he protective, even more so than Neji, but that also worked the other way). She'd eventually found a kindred spirit in Chouji, and the two were so in love, it was sickening sometimes.

Which led to her, and the love of her life, Naruto. Funny, how what turned out as a lesson in dating turned into such a strong relationship. He'd merely asked for help, and tips on what to do on a date, so she took him on one. She'd had such a good time, that she took him on another, then a third, and before you know it, they were making out in her bedroom. Last night had been their first time together, though not either of their first times, not in the slightest. Hers had been a surprisingly wild romp with Shikamaru before he settled down with Shiho from the Code Breaking Division of Anbu. Who would have thought that lazy bum could pull together the motivation to rock her world like that. No one else had even come close to that night until Naruto came along, and showed her what she'd missed with Shika's lack of stamina- though to be fair, who could really compete with him in that area.

As a matter of fact, Naruto's first time was now a village legend, and happened about three months after his eighteenth birthday. Tsunade had decided it was high time Naruto's cherry got popped, so to speak, and recruited her assistant to do the deed (she felt she was too old to do it herself, and would entrust no other with such a task...not even Sakura, who she'd felt, and many agreed, didn't deserve it anyway). Only Naruto could be so lucky as to have Anko suddenly need advice from the Hokage, and walk in on the two mid-rut, decide 'what the hell, I'm already here', and end up joining the fun. Only Naruto could have his first time turn into his first threesome, and despite his inexperience, put both women down completely satiated. Well, actually it was more than a mere threesome, especially if the tales of Kage Bunshin were to be believed. Ino herself was looking forward to testing out the validity of that particular rumor. Channeling Jiraiya in the heat of the moment, Tsunade had made a crack about Naruto christening his office before he was even elected Hokage.

Ino nibbled on his pectoral, and grinned at her lover's purr. She'd been secretly seeing him for about three months now- not counting the initial dates, but starting from their face sucking expedition in her room- though she didn't understand why he didn't want people to know yet. The fox certainly wasn't an excuse anymore. After all he'd done for the village, very few people really cared anymore, and those that did were so stuck in their ways, there was nothing you could do. Besides, he had the respect of the entire shinobi force, from Genin to Anbu, and that was something few had. Not only that, but the baka Ero-kitsune decided to become the pervert in Naruto's life when Jiraiya died three years ago. That had led to Naruto taking over the writing of the Icha Icha Books. Funny thing was, no matter how much the anti-perverts wanted to, they couldn't deny that the most recent three books were nothing short of masterpieces. What's more, was that he was able to write descriptive, yet tasteful smut without resorting to Jiraiya's research. Anko was rather smug about the most recent leading lady in the books resembling her; anyone reading the description of the woman's silhouette would suddenly just picture Anko. Barely two days after the book came out, Naruto disappeared for a week. This was thankfully before they'd officially gotten together. The next time anyone saw him, he had a grin plastered to his face that could have only been removed by the death of someone else precious to him.

The platinum blonde was snatched from her mental ponderings, when she felt a hand grip and squeeze her round bottom. Again, a happy grin adorned her countenance. Five years ago she would have made a bitch about said posterior, especially considering how often Sakura teased her about being a pig, and having a fat ass. Having someone, oddly enough Naruto, tell her he thought her butt was nice, gave her pause. Two years ago to the day, she had embraced her big butt, and it became one of her most often ogled features; which showed how much she and Sakura knew about guys. She found it ironic, that the man who helped her accept it, was now the one that would get to enjoy it.

Trailing her hand slowly down his body, she finally grabbed hold of what she knew would be there.

"Do we have enough time for a quickie?" She asked.

"That depends on you my little Cosmos." He answered, gaining a smile from the nickname. Smirking, she climbed on top of him. Naruto sat up, his hands swiftly finding their way to her plush rear; his mouth alternating between her stiffened nipples, and her full lips. Ino moaned into a kiss, still amazed by how great a kisser, and lover he was. As Ino slowly rotated, and gyrated her hips against her boyfriend's, his hands lightly guided the thrusts from her plump glutes. She bit her lip and whimpered, as Naruto hit a spot just right. That one thrust had pushed her so close to the edge she was teetering dangerously. Rubbing her hands up his chest, she trailed her nails back down, across his abs. She continued down to where they were joined, before running up her own torso to cup his head as he sucked on her highly sensitive nipples. As she gently rode him, she let her mind travel back to the date that convinced her she wanted him for herself.

_Furasshubakkuton: Oboe Kuchiyose_

Naruto was nervous; not normally a concept that he was familiar with, especially since he'd gotten over his fear of ghosts and spirits a long time ago. Well, it was that, and most of the threats to his life were no longer problems. He still had the Akatsuki, but given recent events, there was only one member he had to worry about. This evening, however, was a cause for nervous concern for the blond, as it would be his final exam with Ino. When he'd asked her to teach him how to date several weeks ago, it had been with the intention of asking Sakura out, and showing her a nice time; the problem was, he found himself enjoying his time with Ino, and if he didn't know better, he'd think his fellow blonde was starting to make excuses just to go out with him.

Anyway, it was time to head out, so Naruto gave himself one last look over in the mirror, and headed out. He never understood all of the formal stuff, so Ino had suggested that he keep his wardrobe simple. Ino, on the other hand, had taken to wearing nicer and nicer things each date, and Naruto was almost bouncing with anticipation at what it would be tonight. His favorite had been a deep purple kimono with pale white flowers adorning it that hugged her figure, and the heeled sandals she wore with it. She'd worn that on their fourth date, the one where she'd explained the kissing rule. _Lean in halfway, and wait for the girl to close the rest of the gap. If she does, then keep it soft, and slightly chaste, unless she goes for more. Open mouth is okay, as long as you don't try and swallow her mouth whole._

He'd laughed at first, until he realized that he didn't know how to kiss. He'd been surprised when she'd explained the mechanics to him, but told him not to get any ideas. As Naruto made his way to the restaurant he was meeting his date at, he began mentally going over the lessons that he'd been taught. The first one, had been how to dress, which he'd taken to easily. Ever since he'd returned from his Toad Sage training, he'd had the urge to make some changes to himself. His 'I'm right here, come kill me' jumpsuit had been one of the first things to go. While his everyday clothes still held his favorite color, he'd completely wiped it from his mission garb. Tonight, he'd settled for a pair of dark pants, a nice shirt, and a pair of nice shoes. Unlike his companion for the evening, he was very poor in his knowledge of fashion; having allowed Hinata, Shizune, and Tsunade to pick out the majority of his clothes.

His mental checklist took him all the way to the restaurant, where he found a head of familiar blonde hair talking mirthfully to the woman he hoped to one day get the chance to use this knowledge on. That was another thing that wowed him: Ino always wore her hair down on their dates, and it only served to make her even more beautiful than she already was. Checking his watch, he saw that he'd achieved his next lesson. _Being punctual is a must. Girls hate it when a guy is late for their date. Sometimes, it's better to be early than late._ He'd done just that, and it looked like Ino had as well. Naruto dropped from the roof half a block from his destination, and approached at a casual pace. As soon as he got close enough, he called out.

"Evening Ino-chan." Both Ino and Sakura turned to the blond when he'd called out, and Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Ino was wearing a short, black, sleeveless dress, that was just barely on the proper side of decency. It hugged her dangerous curves, and the neckline was cut low; showing enough cleavage that would have knocked out Ero-Sennin with a nosebleed. All the blond could think, was that she was gorgeous, and the strapped heels she was wearing did things to her legs that made his mouth go dry. Naruto was real having a hard time performing his next lesson. _Greet your date, and offer her a compliment; and remember, no matter how sexy she looks, don't ogle her, it gives off a bad vibe. You'll be labeled a pervert before the date even starts, and it will be over before it really began._ So focused was he on Ino, that he hadn't even noticed that Sakura was staring at him in surprise, and not a little bit of jealousy at her friend. She'd never known he could look so handsome with all that orange he always wore. Maybe it was time to start paying more attention to her teammate.

"You're going out with Naruto?" Sakura exclaimed, catching both blonde's attention.

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Ino said. At Sakura's glare, Ino rolled her eyes. "I'm teaching him how to date, Forehead."

"In that dress...are you sure it's not something else?" Sakura asked, still glaring. Ino gave a frustrated sigh, but Naruto came to her rescue.

"I think Ino-chan looks beautiful." Both Ino and Sakura gaped at the young man; Sakura because he was calling someone other than her or Hinata -chan, and Ino because he'd kept his composure against the dress. She'd worn it purposely to throw him off. "Ne, Ino-chan, we've got a reservation; we don't want to be late." Ino smiled at her fellow blond, and grinned.

"Right, we should go on in." Naruto offered his arm, and Ino wrapped hers around it. The two walked into the Akimichi restaurant, and were greeted swiftly by Chouji's uncle. Sakura stood outside, staring in shock.

"Since when has Naruto been so charming?" She asked herself.

"Seems you don't know Naruto as well as you thought you did, eh?" Sakura turned to find their team captain, Kakashi, a few feet away with his nose in one of Naruto's books- he was now even more obsessed with the series, even fighting Genma over the last copy of the latest. Closing his book, the Jounin walked over to the young woman. "Ever since he came back from his Sage Training, Naruto has undergone a very big change, Sakura. Being as close to him as you are, I'm surprised that you didn't notice it. Oh, by the way, Tsunade wishes your assistance; seems Lee and Gai overdid it again. Oh, and the dress, I think, is part of the lessons. It was a test of his pervertedness; whether he'd ogle her which I believe he passed nicely. Better than most guys would in his position for sure." With that, he left via his normal methods. Sakura took one last look at the pair of blondes, before heading to the hospital.

"So, you two are back," Chouzu said smiling. Naruto had met Chouji's uncle years ago, and had always liked the man's easy going nature. "The usual table?"

"Yeah, it's Naruto's date quiz." Ino said, hugging said man's arm tighter. Naruto blushed at both her action, and the comment, but was still mentally checking things off his list. The Akimichi led them to the table that they'd been using the past few weeks, and Naruto pulled Ino's chair out for her. She gave him a smile, before allowing him to help her be seated. All the while, Naruto was thinking about what he'd been told. _When you get to the table, make sure you pull the chair out for your date. Once seated, strike up a conversation, but be sure to talk about things that relate to you both. For civilians, talk about normal, day to day things. For shinobi, talk about shinobi stuff, like their jobs, or interesting missions. Ask questions to show her that you're interested in her, because women love to gossip._

"Chouji will be along to take your orders soon; can I get you two love birds anything to drink?" Chouzu teased. Both blondes just laughed at the man; he said the same thing every time they came in.

"I'll just have some water for now, thank you," Naruto said. "I might get something else with dinner. What about you Ino-chan?" Grinning, Ino looked at Chouzu, and said.

"I'll have a lemon tea." She then turned to Naruto. "No point spoiling my appetite, right." The Elder man left the table, and the two fell silent for a moment. Never one to indulge in silence, Naruto broke it.

"So, how are things in the IT Division?" Naruto asked. "I heard you had some commotion a few days back." Ino laughed at Naruto's description of the mayhem that was spawned from the capture of four Iwa Anbu caught sneaking into the village to kill Naruto (his lineage having finally come out), the two Kumo Jounin that made another attempt on the Byakugan, only to run into a menstrual Hinata, and the three Chuunin from Kiri who were rabid fangirls of the new Icha Icha author. Ino went into a long tale about the insanity that had befallen her division, and Naruto listened with rapt attention, laughing at the part about Ibiki being traumatized by what they'd been planning for their idol, as well as being thankful that they'd been caught.

"You were lucky," Ino said. "Ibiki almost let those fangirls of yours go." Naruto paled a bit.

"Fangirls," Naruto shuddered. "The one thing about Sasuke I never envied him for." Ino giggled at that, though she was still a little embarrassed at how she had acted in her youth.

"We weren't that bad were we?" She asked, batting her eyes cutely.

"Do you want me to spare your feelings, or tell you the truth?" Ino gave a pout that made Naruto chuckle, before she broke out into a giggle. She knew they'd been bad, she and Sakura the worst of the bunch.

"What about you, anything interesting happen in the life of Mr. Fox?" Ino asked, teasingly.

"Well, there were a few things, but I know a story that I'm sure you'd like to hear more." Naruto said conspiratorially.

"Oh really, do tell." Naruto gave her his foxy grin, and Ino had to fight the blush coming on.

"How would you like to know how I really got away from Akatsuki that last time?" Ino's eyes widened. He was right, this was definitely a story she wanted to here. "Let me just start by saying how shocked I was to find that they were all just a bunch of S-class perverts." Before Naruto could begin his tale, Chouji arrived with their drinks, a towel over his arm, and a pad in his pocket.

"Hey Naruto, Ino, what'll you be having?" The two looked at the menu for a moment, before answering.

"Ladies first." Naruto said grinning. Ino rolled her eyes at her date, but was suitably flattered.

"I'll have a salad and Miso soup for an appetizer. Then for dinner, a plate of Salmon Sashimi, and a plate of Soba."

"Hungry, are we?" Naruto teased, earning a chuckle from Chouji. Ino smirked at him.

"Tsunade-sama is a slave driver; I just wish I'd known before Hinata and I decided to further our medical training under her. I honestly don't know how Sakura survived."

"And you, sir?" Chouji asked, with a grin. The three giggled at Chouji's acting. He enjoyed working here way too much, especially on busy days when he was brought in to serve, and he ended up waiting his friends' tables.

"I'll start with a bowl of your Barbecue ramen." Chouji chuckled at the frustrated sigh of his childhood teammate. "Have you ever tried it?" Ino shook her head. "Make that two orders, if she doesn't like it, I'll finish it for her. For dinner, I'd like the Cajun Crusted Ahi, light on the Shoyu Sauce, and some Nigiri Sushi." After a glance at Ino, he said. "And we'd like a bottle of warm sake to share with dinner, if that's all right with you, Ino." Ino nodded at Chouji, who nodded at the pair, and left to place their orders. Grinning at Ino, Naruto said.

"And you were teasing me about being hungry?" Ino said, playfully.

"You think training in medicine is tough, try being trained to become Hokage." Naruto shuddered. "I think she gets a sadistic pleasure with the torture she calls lessons. Now where was I...oh right"

888

To Ino's fascination, Naruto began the tale of how he'd been taking the final draft of his latest book Icha Icha: Snakes of Another Sort (1) to his publishers. Barely a mile outside of the city, he ran into three members of the Akatsuki: Kisame, Konan, and Zetsu. He knew he could take any one of them, but more than that, and he was toast. Prepared to go down fighting, Naruto reached around behind him, and grabbed a scroll of shuriken; at least that's the scroll he thought he had. He'd learned from Tenten how to summon weapons and throw them at the same time. With over a hundred shuriken packed into it, combined with Shuriken Kage Bunshin, regular Kage Bunshin, and maybe even a Bunshin Bakuha, maybe he could cause enough of a distraction to get away. He had bit his thumb, and ran it across the seals expecting shuriken, when a small mountain of paper erupted from the seal instead.

"Shit, my book!" Naruto exclaimed. The three Akatsuki members could only look on stunned as they were pelted with paper. Kisame thought the entire thing was hilarious, until a piece of paper fell at his feet. Reaching down to pick it up, he glanced at it, before his eyes widened.

"You!" he exclaimed, pointing Sameheda.

"What is it Kisame?" Konan asked. He took the piece of paper he handed her, and she gasped. She gave him a look of adoration, before appearing at his side and pulling him into a hug.

"Uzumaki-sama," She screamed. "I'm your biggest fan. I never thought that the boy we'd be hunting was actually the greatest writer of the times. I wish you were older, then maybe you could act out some of the scenes with me."

"What the fuck is going on here?" Zetsu's black half said.

"Naruto-san is the writer of the Icha Icha books." Kisame answered.

"No shit, you think we can get an autograph?" It replied.

"It doesn't matter what he wrote, our orders are to capture him if we find him." Zetsu's white half said uncaringly.

"Fine, then you capture him." Kisame said, in annoyance. "I'm not about to take part in capturing the greatest author on the planet. Hell, I might just have to resign my membership, if you're going to make a habit of killing off Icha Icha authors." Yes, Kisame was still a little pissed that Pein had killed Jiraiya.

"Madara-sama will punish you two when he hears of this." Kisame just smirked. Naruto tried to attack while he was distracted, but Zetsu was an S-class shinobi for a reason. The fight was tough for him, even with the Sage abilities, not because Zetsu's chakra levels were easily Kage level, but because he was also able to tap into natural energy given his bloodline. Just when things were starting to look down, something landed next to his feet with a thud.

"Oops, I dropped my sword." Kisame said, with a shark-like grin. Naruto, not one to pass up an opportunity, grabbed the sword, and swiped it at the stunned plant man. After that, it was only a matter of slicing him up into lettuce. Konan used her paper jutsu to help Naruto get his story back in order, and Kisame insisted that they escort him to the publisher to make sure nothing happened to the package. Once they'd gone their separate ways, Naruto vowed that they'd get the first two copies of his new book, and that they'd be starring in the next one.

888

Ino gaped at him like he was crazy. That was the most ridiculous story she'd ever heard, he couldn't expect her to believe that.

"You're lying, you have to be." She said. Grinning, Naruto took an infamous notepad from his pocket, and slid it across the table. In it was the notes for the next book, as well as a note in a messy scrawl that read.

_**Thanks for the advanced copies**_

_**Kisame and Konan**_

Shaking her head, Ino couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Only you would have that kind of luck." She said.

"And I cherish it everyday." Naruto replied. The two chuckled, and made more small talk, until the appetizers arrived. Chouji sidled up to the table, hand expanded enough to make carrying the tray easy.

"Alright, here we go." The Akimichi heir said. "Salad and Miso soup for Ino." He sat her food in front of her, then began with Naruto's. "And Two Barbecue ramens. Your food should be ready shortly." With that, he left them to their own. After trying the ramen dish, Ino finished about half, before moving to her own appetizers. She had to admit, if they combined their barbecue, with Ichiraku's ramen: gold.

As they ate, they talked some more. Naruto regaled her with tales about his adventures on Toad Mountain, as well as some of his times with Jiraiya. Ino spoke of what happened in the village during his absences, and what made her join Anbu; as well as a few embarrassing stories about her co-workers. Just as they were finishing their pre-meals, Chouji arrived with their dinners.

"Here we go, enjoy your meals." He said, as he served the pair.

They ate in silence, enjoying their food, and occasional sip of sake. Once they were done, they relaxed with mild conversation, not really talking about anything. Naruto shared a few of his training secrets, as did Ino, while they digested their food. When the check came, Naruto didn't hesitate to pick it up, and reached for Gama-chan. That was the one thing from his childhood he refused to give up, considering it was a gift from Old Man Hokage. He hadn't forgotten what Ino had told him, but it was actually something that he'd already known. _As instigator of the date, it is customary for the man to pay for the evening. It is the responsibility of the female, however, to show some restraint, and not order the most expensive crap she can find._ As he paid for the meal, he thought about the next part of the date he'd planned. It wasn't much, but it was a clear, warm night so maybe it would work. _Most dates are two part, and it's good to have something planned for after dinner._

After taking care of everything, Naruto helped Ino from her seat, and offering her his arm, led her out of the restaurant.

"So what's next?" She asked him. "Dancing, a night on the town?" Naruto grinned.

"Nope, I was thinking a walk, then somewhere special afterwards." Ino was slightly disappointed, but given that it was Naruto, she knew that there had to be more to it than just a simple walk. As the two traveled the town, arm in arm, Naruto noticed that they were getting odd looks, and snickers. He knew he shouldn't have told Kiba that Ino was teaching him how to date. Naruto led her to steps leading to the dais that overlooked the Hokage Monument.

"Not that this isn't romantic in it's own way, Naruto, what are we doing here?" Ino asked.

"Just be patient, I have a surprise for you once we reach the top." Groaning about having to walk so far, Ino followed him to the top of the dais.

"So what's this big surprise?" Ino said, a little anxious. "I don't see anything."

"It's not up here per se." Naruto said, earning a glare from Ino. "But it does lead to it." Naruto bit his thumb, before running through hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Naruto called, before they were engulfed in smoke. Ino let out a scream when she found herself shooting up into the air at a rapid speed.

"How's it going bro?" A voice from beneath them asked. Ino looked down to find a humongous, taller than even her family's flower shop, orange toad. Naruto grinned, and said.

"Hey Kichi," He grinned at the shocked Ino. "Can you get us up onto Baachan's head?"

"From here, no sweat." Gamakichi said. "Hold onto something." Naruto pulled Ino close to him.

"Hang onto me, so you don't fall." He instructed. "I'm used to this, but I don't know how much experience you have with Summon Travel." That was an easy answer for Ino to answer...she hadn't had any. Holding tight to her date, Ino found an odd comfort being held by her fellow blond. It felt warm, and safe; what the hell was Sakura thinking, rejecting this? Just as she was starting to relish in the comfort, she felt the ground beneath her move, and she was in the air. The trio landed with a boom on top of the fifth head on the mountain. Despite the booming sound of the landing, Ino was shocked at how surprisingly light it was. The toad let them down, and addressed Naruto.

"Hey bro, when are you going to come visit again?" Gamakichi asked. "Everyone misses you, especially Gamachen." Naruto blushed. Ino gave a confused look at the blush.

"Gamaken's little girl, my cousin, absolutely adores Naruto." The toad revealed. "All throughout his Sage Training, she kept hoping that he'd fail and turn into a toad so she could marry him.

"Oh, that's just priceless." Ino said, giggling. "Even the Summons are in love with you."

"I'll try to come visit soon, but you better promise to keep her away from me." Naruto said, with a half- serious face. Gamakichi grinned deviously, before dispelling himself. "Let's go, we're almost there." Naruto told Ino, leading her off of the massive noggin. She was surprised when he led her to the Yondaime's head, and down to a blanket laid out on the bridge of the nose. He helped her sit, and sat down next to her.

"Not that this isn't nice, but again what's going on?" Naruto only smiled that grin of his that made him so adorable. Naruto took a scroll from his pocket, and laid it out onto the blanket. With a little chakra, the seal was released, and out popped something that made Ino's eyes widen, and mouth water. He'd actually gotten her most favorite guilty pleasure on the planet. There sitting on the blanket, was a plate piled with Banana Fritters. How the hell had he known what her absolute favorite sweet was. Next to that was a large bowl of Apple Hash Napoleon. Ino couldn't help but just stare at the dishes, complete with silverware.

"Okay, the fritters didn't really take much time, but I didn't spend an hour and a half on that Apple Hash for it to go to waste."

Ino needed no other invitation to dig in, moaning in delight as she took her first bite of fritter. It was so good, she had to resist the urge to tackle Naruto to the ground, and have her way with him. The idea of being married to a guy who could prepare the treats for her all the time kept popping up in her mind; oddly enough being Mrs. Naruto Uzumaki didn't seem like all that bad a notion. The two spent the rest of the evening enjoying the sweets, and learning more about each other. When the subject of childhoods came about, she realized just how spoiled she'd been compared to her date. After a while, they decided to call it a night. Naruto packed up everything, with Ino swiping one last fritter. After she'd finished, and wiped her hands, Naruto gave her a smile.

"So, how'd I do?" He asked. Ino pretended to think for a moment, before giggling.

"I had a wonderful time, Naruto." She announced. "You pass with flying colors." Naruto blushed, one of the biggest lessons still running through his mind. _At the end of the night, be a gentleman, and escort the lady home. Don't expect to be kissed afterward, especially on the first date, but just let it happen if it's meant to._

"That's good," Naruto said, relieved. "Well, I guess I better get you home." She noticed that he was still fidgeting, and knew what it was about.

"Don't worry Naruto, you've definitely earned a kiss with an evening like tonight," She said, giving him a sultry smile. "With tongue." Naruto blushed redder than Gaara's hair. To distract himself, he concentrated on getting Ino home, and how he planned to end the night. Deciding he'd had fun, and wanting to give her one more gift for helping him, Naruto contemplated a certain gift that he'd planned to give Sakura. Deciding to test the waters, and see if it would pan out, he went forward with it. Taking a breath, Naruto looked Ino in the eye with his most serious expression.

"Ino, promise me you won't tell anyone of what I'm about to show you." Ino gasped. What could he be about to show her that would require that much secrecy? Why was he waiting until now to do this? And damn it, why did she have to? Everyone knew she was a gossip, it was one of the few bad habits from her childhood she couldn't break. So why tell her if you didn't want people to know? "Ino, do you promise?" Knowing that he wouldn't tell her if she didn't, Ino nodded.

"Yes, Naruto, I promise." Inside, she was grumbling loudly, and her Inner Ino was screaming about the unfairness of it all. Had it been anyone else, then promises be damned; but Naruto was different. He never went halfway on a promise, and making one to him meant that you couldn't do any less. No one could explain why, but breaking a promise to Naruto, felt like betraying the village. Ino couldn't help her smile when Naruto grinned at her. She sat and watched as he brought his hands up into a ram seal, and concentrated. Ino suddenly felt a warm breeze brush over her skin, and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from her date. Kneeling, Naruto said.

"Hop on my back, I've got one more surprise before I take you home." Ino debated for a moment, considering her attire, but then decided to just go with it. Naruto had already surprised her with an amazing sweet display; if he was asking her to keep this secret, then this had to be good. Ignoring, for the time being, that her dress had pulled up her thighs enough to give a nice view of the bottom of her thong covered rear- her normal panties weren't an option with this dress- Ino grabbed onto Naruto piggyback.

Running through a set of hand seals, Naruto ran to the edge of the Yondaime's nose, and jumped off. Ino screamed into his ear for the entire descent, her eyes shut tight. She could feel the air whipping past her at a rapid pace, and just knew she was going to die. What had possessed her to go out with a suicidal loony, and why hadn't she seen the signs before. Just as she began praying that whatever was left of her would be enough for a funeral, she noticed that the whipping wind was slowing. And then everything froze. She could still feel a breeze surrounding her, but the whipping wind had stopped. Ino slowly opened her eyes, and found herself barely two feet off the ground. Ino watched in absolute awe, as they began to lift off the ground, floating higher into the air.

"You're...how...what?" Shaking her head to get her mind working again, Ino started again. "You're floating." Ino said.

"Not just floating," Naruto said slyly.

"You're flying?" Ino asked, to which Naruto nodded. "How are you flying?"

"It was something I actually stumbled onto." Naruto said as he began to ascend rapidly.. "I was trying to work on controlling my natural energy, and I was wondering if I could use the same principles with my elemental chakra. I began converting all the chakra in my body to wind chakra leaving just enough live on, and pushing it out of my body like I did with my natural chakra to feel how it moves. I was concentrating so hard I didn't notice that I'd been floating off the ground until I broke my concentration and fell about five feet to the ground. Now, while I can fly using my elemental chakra, it's no good in a fight because I have to convert so much of my chakra."

Naruto suddenly stopped gaining altitude, and Ino found she could see the whole village from their vantage. The shining paper lamps, the twinkling of the stars, and the ethereal glow of the moon made for a breathtaking view of Konoha. Ino was in awe of the beauty she was witnessing, and even more so of the man who had shared this with her. Resting her head on his shoulder, she pressed her lips to his whisker marks, and whispered.

"You're really trying to make sure you get that kiss, aren't you." She teased.

"Maybe," Naruto teased back. "So how about a quick tour of Fire Country courtesy of Air Naruto?" Ino nodded, her cheek rubbing against his.

The two spent the entire night flying all over Fire Country, visiting both Otafuku Gai and Tanzaku Gai, even making a stop at Crater City to watch the sunrise over the crater. Ino got caught up in the moment, and kissed Naruto like she would a lover who'd given her the world. They returned to Konoha just before dawn- Ino blushing the entire way- when the very first slivers of light were filtering over the Hokage Monument. Naruto landed in front of her parents' home, and knelt so that Ino could climb down.

He couldn't help but think about what Ino had said before they'd left Konoha, and how it pertained to the lessons he'd learned. _If you do get a kiss at the end, don't go groping like a pervert. Let her dictate the pace, and only grope if you have her permission._ Ino smoothed her dress down, and looked up into Naruto's deep blue eyes as he turned around to face her. Naruto knew the lessons, and he knew he shouldn't, but looking into Ino's corn blue eyes, he couldn't resist the urge to kiss her again. Had he been paying attention, he'd have noticed that all thoughts of a future with Sakura- which he'd had in the back of his mind all night as the purpose of this entire experience- were missing.

"Ne, Ino-chan, can I kiss you again?" Naruto asked, shocking the other blonde. "I know it's kinda forward of me, but you're just so beautiful tonight, I can't help myself." Giving him a sexy grin, Ino leaned forward to give him just what he asked for. Just before her lips touched his, she whispered.

"Grab my ass, Naruto-kun." Later in her bedroom, she wouldn't know what came over her, or why she'd told him to do it, but she certainly wouldn't regret it.

Naruto's hands rubbed her back for a few moments, before slowly sliding down to her rump. He cupped it for a few seconds, before he drew a moan from his companion when he began kneading the soft, plump flesh. The chaste kiss that Naruto was expecting quickly degenerated into something much deeper, and far more passionate than he'd thought would happen. Ino wasted no time declaring war on his mouth, her tongue invading his own almost as soon as their lips touched. Naruto of course fought back, never one to back down from a challenge. What resulted, was a battle of tongues, fighting a war of wills, of two of the most stubborn people in the Leaf Village. So into the kiss, neither noticed when Ino was pinned against the door with a thump, her long slim legs wrapped around his waist, or when they began grinding against each other.

It wasn't until the porch light came on, and Ino heard her mother calling her, that they realized what they were doing. Both sported twin blushes, but Ino didn't care anymore. She knew she wanted Naruto, and didn't care what anyone thought of it. Pulling him into another swift kiss, they quickly made plans for the date that would lead to the make out fest in her bedroom. Watching as he walked away, Ino had to put forth a serious effort to calm her racing heart, and quivering legs. Between the adrenaline rush of flying around the country, and that kiss, had Naruto decided to rip her panties off, and take her against the door, she doubted she'd have put up much resistance.

_Furasshubakkuton: Oboe Shuuryou_

Ino moaned as she was brought back from her memories of that night, a new rush of emotions running through her. She didn't remember when she'd fallen in love with the blond, but she was sure that was likely the catalyst. Naruto was currently kissing and licking the spot just behind her earlobe that always lit her fire. That in conjunction with the fact that he was massaging her butt, cupping her breast while pinching her nipple, she was sent hurtling over the edge. Her orgasm washed through her like a tidal wave, setting her to trembling, while she held onto him for dear life. Just after her climax started, Naruto grunted her name, following soon after.

Gasping for breath, Ino wasn't too worried about getting pregnant. Her Prevention Jutsu would still be good for another four hours before it started to fade. Ino leaned down, and captured her boyfriend's lips in a heated kiss, before laying down onto his chest. Her breasts were smushed between them, and her still hard, sensitive nipples kept sending tendrils of pleasure throughout her body as they rubbed against his chest. They lay there in bliss, until the moment was interrupted by a voice that neither wanted to hear at the moment.

"Hey, Naruto, are you awake?" Sakura's voice called from the living room of Naruto's apartment. "I need to talk to you about something." Naruto began cursing himself for not remembering that Sakura was one of the people recognized by the security seal to his home. Naruto heard her footsteps coming down the hall, and cursed again. The two blondes began a scramble for their clothes. Just as Naruto had gotten a pair of pants on, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Naruto ran forward, and pushed it closed, earning him a growl of annoyance from Sakura.

"Sorry Sakura, but I'm a little short on clothing at the moment."

"Oh please, it's nothing I haven't seen before," Sakura said. "I am a medic after all."

"Please, just give me a minute." Sakura groaned, but agreed. When Naruto slid out of his bedroom, Sakura could tell he was hiding something.

"Naruto, what's in your room that you feel you have to hide it from me?" Sakura asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"It's nothing Sakura-chan, my room is just a mess is all."

"I've seen your room messy before." She replied.

"Not that messy, you haven't." He said. "I just want a chance to clean up a bit before anyone sees it."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at her long time friend. She'd seen the extra pair of sandals at the door, women's sandals at that. Something suspicious was going on here, and she was going to find out what. Just before she could question him, a loud thump came from the bedroom, followed by a loudly whispered curse. Glaring hard, Sakura shoved Naruto aside, and slammed the bedroom door open. What she found hurt deeper than she could ever imagine. Standing in Naruto's bedroom in nothing but pair of lace panties, was her best friend, Ino.

"What the hell is going on?" Sakura yelled. "Naruto, why is Ino near naked in your bedroom."

"Ne, Sakura-chan, it's nothing." He said, as if it was. One whiff of the room's scent, and a simple glimpse at the huge wet spot on the bed told Sakura that it was not nothing. "Ino-chan and I were hanging out last night since you were busy, and she slept here is all. We..." Fed up with hiding, Ino interrupted.

"Naruto-kun, stop lying." Naruto's head drooped, facing his feet. "Sakura, me and Naruto are seeing one another, have been for three months. As you can probably tell, last night we made love for the first time."

The mixed look of pain, hurt, anger, and betrayal reminded Ino of a woman who'd caught her husband cheating on her. Did Sakura really think she had Naruto wrapped that tightly around her finger? Did she really expect him to wait for her forever, or until she decided she was ready to give him a chance?

"But how?" Sakura asked. "He was supposed to love me. Naruto was supposed to be mine. He should have known that I'd be interested someday." Sakura was devastated. She suddenly realized that he'd become her foundation. He'd been the one constant in her life, a never ending source of affection; the one to cheer her up every time Sasuke turned her down. Naruto was to be her fallback in case Sasuke never happened, and the one thing she held over Ino; someone who loved her unconditionally. Now she'd lost him, and to Ino no less.

"Really Sakura?" Ino questioned. "If that were really the case, if you were really interested in Naruto, then why didn't you ever say anything? Why did you keep turning him down, and pushing him away? Why aren't you already with him for that matter?" Seeing the hurt look on her friends face, Ino knew that the girl felt betrayed; but it was her own fault.

"I didn't know how great he could be." Sakura pleaded. "And now you've stolen him from me." She said, getting angry. Ino knew she wasn't going to enjoy this conversation. She didn't know how right she was.

"Pfft, it's not my fault you didn't realize just how great Naruto was. Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean others didn't; Hinata saw how great he was from the very beginning if you remember. You should have known that eventually someone would have come to their senses, and realized how great a catch he was. That someone would see him for the prize he was, fox or no; or were you counting on the Kyuubi to keep everyone away. News flash Forehead, no ones bothered by the fox anymore; and even if they are, his legendary stamina and the Kage Bunshin rumors are more than enough to quell most fears."

The screaming match that followed was a legend amongst the village, mostly because of the cause of the argument. When Naruto intervened on Ino's behalf, it almost cost him his friendship with Sakura; especially when he told her she was being as selfish and childish as Sasuke had been, expecting everything to go her way because she said so. Sakura's reply was to fling a bunch of insults at him, and threaten to never talk to him again. It wasn't until he told her that he was willing to let their friendship go if she felt that way, that she gave pause. When Naruto asked her to leave his home, he only hoped that things would get better. Even if they didn't, he knew he'd chosen wisely. Even he was allowed to be selfish every now and then.

888

1. For those of you wondering, yes I threw in a shameless plug for one of my favorite stories. As a matter of fact, many Icha Icha books written by Naruto, will likely have the title of one of my favorite stories on this site.

There you have it, my first true oneshot. Now I face a dilemma, not a major one, just a matter of 'should I'. Should I keep the oneshots separate, or should I stick them all together under one story setup.

**Omake**

When Ino reached the clearing, she found her target waiting for her. She'd received a note earlier from Sakura to meet her here, but no reason for the meeting. It had been two weeks since the blowout, and Ino still was untrusting of her former best friend.

"All right Sakura, what do you want?" Ino asked.

"I first wanted to apologize." She said. "I had some time to think, and I realize that I was being selfish. Naruto deserves to fall in love like everyone else, and he also deserves to be loved unconditionally." Sakura turned hard eyes to her. "Therein lies the problem." Ino was taken off guard, when several Shunshins later, she was surrounded. Looking around, she found Temari, Shikamaru, Tenten, Lee, Kakashi, Shizune, Chouji, Ayame and Teuchi Ichiraku, and even her captain, Anko. The three presences that made her gulp, however, were Hinata, Gaara, and the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade. "You see, there are some who care very deeply for Naruto, and refuse to allow him to be hurt, not after the life he's had, and especially not by someone whose supposed to be his friend."

"And you think I might do that?" Ino asked appalled. "We've talked about his childhood before, and I could never do anything like that."

"We're just making sure that you don't." Gaara said. "I'd prefer if relations between Konoha and Suna weren't strained because I had to make you disappear." Not quite sure if her fellow Kage was serious or not, but not wanting to take the chance, Tsunade intervened.

"We just want to be sure that you're with him for the right reasons, and not taking advantage of him." Tsunade said.

"You should know, as well as I do, that betraying Naruto is akin to like crimes against nature." Ino said, earning a few chuckles. "Look, I know you're all protective of Naruto, but so am I." She said. "I genuinely care about Naruto...no, I love...I'm in love with Naruto. My love for him borders on the obsession I had for Sasuke-teme when I was a naive little girl. Naruto is an addiction; one that I'm perfectly happy to stay hooked on for the rest of my life."

"Well, I'm convinced." Anko said. "She's already started talking like the gaki. He's one of the few people who'll still refer to Uchiha by his first name, and the only one of those few who would call him a bastard in the same address."

"As much as I hate to say this about him, Naruto is like a well trained puppy." Tsunade said. "He's absolutely, adorably, irresistible when he wants to be; but he'll love you completely, and deserves nothing less in return." Smirking, Ino said.

"Well he must be a were-puppy, because he can turn into an absolute beast in bed." After that comment the meeting broke up...barring the minor threat that Gaara added before his departure. Just before she left, Anko stopped Ino, and whispered.

"I'm bi," Ino gave her an odd look. "Just something to think about."


End file.
